As a treat to myself on the occasion turning 50, I (more recently) had my first colonoscopy. I was more worried about the prep than anything, but it was much smoother than I expected. I won’t dread another, at least not much. I drank clear, cherry-flavored, magnesium citrate, which was like a really salty liquid cough drop. I actually like super-sweet wines described by others as cough syrup, so it wasn’t too bad. The result wasn’t as explosive as people suggested either. And the “happy juice” gave what to me was nothing more than a nice nap.
The one small polyp found was removed and tested as cancer to its margin. The doctor was very cheerful when he called me about the results, saying he was surprised with such a small one and that he’s set me up with Roswell for more testing and consultation. A CAT scan (showing nothing bad) was followed by my first (and immediately thereafter my second) enema followed by a mini-colonoscopy. I got to watch the movie this time, but the discomfort distracted me from appreciating the cinematography. And I now know what a balloon animal feels like.
All they found was a redundant mucosa where they believed the polyp had been removed. It is now scheduled to be removed in January, a couple days after the Little Christmas party.
Very few people know (and I don’t even know if anyone sees this blog with any regularity) but it’s neither a secret nor an announcement. There’s nothing to tell at this point. It’s upsetting to me, of course, and my wife as well, but at this point we are doing whatever we can to get rid whatever might or might not be there. And I made my daughter promise to get checked herself at the age of 40.
This is really the first major health condition I’ve encountered. Anything else, including an abnormal brain MRI from a year ago, is high blood pressure related.And not only is that not in need of medications, but probably entirely due to lifestyle and diet. I’m working on the low-sodium thing as we speak, and really need to invest in a treadmill, the use of which I will happily double as my reading time.
But thoughts of mortality sneak in again. I dare not hope for a particularly long life, and wish it mostly to be with my wife in this world a fair while longer. But I have decided I want to die as well as I lived. Just not sure what that means, and am glad it does not appear something to contemplate with urgency.